Answering Shia allegation: "Abu Huraira admits fabricating hadith"

[MuslimK]

A quick refutation of a terrible Shia allegation against Abu Huraira:

The Shia will quote this hadith claiming it proves Abu Hurayra used to attribute his own words to Prophet (saw):

أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تَرَكَ غِنًى، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى، وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ ‏"‏‏.‏ تَقُولُ الْمَرْأَةُ إِمَّا أَنْ تُطْعِمَنِي وَإِمَّا أَنْ تُطَلِّقَنِي‏.‏ وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ أَطْعِمْنِي وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي‏.‏ وَيَقُولُ الاِبْنُ أَطْعِمْنِي، إِلَى مَنْ تَدَعُنِي فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ هَذَا مِنْ كِيسِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ‏.‏

[ "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The best alms is that which is given when one is rich, and a giving hand is better than a taking one, and you should start first to support your dependents.' A wife says, 'You should either provide me with food or divorce me.' A slave says, 'Give me food and enjoy my service." A son says, "Give me food; to whom do you leave me?" The people said, "O Abu Huraira! Did you hear that from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He said, "No, it is from my own self." ]

Or Another translation: Abu Hurayra said once, “The Prophet said, `The best charity is willingly given; the higher hand is better than the lower one, and start with your own dependents. A woman says: `Either feed me or divorce me.' A slave says, `Feed me and use me.' A son says, `Feed me for the woman who will forsake me.'” He was asked, “O Abu Hurayra! Did you really hear the Messenger of Allah say so?” He said, “No, this one is from Abu Hurayra's pouch.

Reply: The hadith actually proves that Abu Hurayra was truthful. If he was a liar then he could have said "Yes, it is from Prophet (saw)".

Anyways, the first part of the Hadith is from Prophet (saw) as Abu Hurayra truthfully narrated:

[أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تَرَكَ غِنًى، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى، وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ
 The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The best alms is that which is given when one is rich, and a giving hand is better than a taking one, and you should start first to support your dependents.' ]

The last part of the Hadith are words (explanation) of Abu Hurayra as he truthfully says it:

[ تَقُولُ الْمَرْأَةُ إِمَّا أَنْ تُطْعِمَنِي وَإِمَّا أَنْ تُطَلِّقَنِي‏.‏ وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ أَطْعِمْنِي وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي‏.‏ وَيَقُولُ الاِبْنُ أَطْعِمْنِي، إِلَى مَنْ تَدَعُنِي فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ هَذَا مِنْ كِيسِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ‏.‏
A wife says, 'You should either provide me with food or divorce me.' A slave says, 'Give me food and enjoy my service." A son says, "Give me food; to whom do you leave me?" The people said, "O Abu Huraira! Did you hear that from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He said, "No, it is from my own self." ]

You can know this just by reading the very next hadith in the same chapter where only the first part is mentioned as words of Prophet (saw). Check: https://sunnah.com/bukhari/69 - See hadith no. 5356

To add more: the first part, which is from Prophet (saw), is also narrated by another companion:

Hakim bin Hizam said:
أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ
"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best kind of charity is that which is given when you are rich, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand, and start with those for whom you are responsible."' Sunan an-Nasa'i 2543

See: https://sunnah.com/urn/1125520

Another refutation can be read here: https://gift2shias.com/2011/03/08/in-defence-of-abu-huraira-2/

[Shia786]

MuslimK, your statement that the Hadith proves Abu Huraira was truthful could be rebutted in the following way:

Abu Huraira narrated a hadith without showing any signs of it being a narration of two individuals. It has a continuous flow. It caused the people to question him, because they may have heard it differently from others.

So Abu Huraira was forced to remove their doubt.

But the question is, why narrate the Hadith of the Prophet in a way which was deluding and misleading?

His way of narrating was deluding because it caused the people to enquire about it. Had it been a case of a clear hadith, or a hadith with clear signs of it being a reports of two persons, then the people would have understood. But no, he was misleading the masses without importing clairity in his narrations!

[Hadrami]

Reply: The hadith actually proves that Abu Hurayra was truthful. If he was a liar then he could have said "Yes, it is from Prophet (saw)".

Not just proves that he was not a liar, but also proves that even if we dont know Abu Huraira who is our major narrator, we still have this narration from other narrator. Whereas with shiism, remove Ibrahim bin Hashim and shia religion as we know it today wont exist. No guide (hiding), No Quran (hidden by the hidden one) & majority of their narration will be lost. Thats how superior ahlussunnah is compare to shiaism.

[Abu Muhammad]

MuslimK, your statement that the Hadith proves Abu Huraira was truthful could be rebutted in the following way:

Abu Huraira narrated a hadith without showing any signs of it being a narration of two individuals. It has a continuous flow. It caused the people to question him, because they may have heard it differently from others.

So Abu Huraira was forced to remove their doubt.

But the question is, why narrate the Hadith of the Prophet in a way which was deluding and misleading?

His way of narrating was deluding because it caused the people to enquire about it. Had it been a case of a clear hadith, or a hadith with clear signs of it being a reports of two persons, then the people would have understood. But no, he was misleading the masses without importing clairity in his narrations!

You certainly haven't read the link provided by brother MuslimK at the end of his post, have you? Otherwise, you would have not made that so-called "rebuttal".

[MuslimK]

MuslimK, your statement that the Hadith proves Abu Huraira was truthful could be rebutted in the following way:

Abu Huraira narrated a hadith without showing any signs of it being a narration of two individuals. It has a continuous flow. It caused the people to question him, because they may have heard it differently from others.

So Abu Huraira was forced to remove their doubt.

But the question is, why narrate the Hadith of the Prophet in a way which was deluding and misleading?

His way of narrating was deluding because it caused the people to enquire about it. Had it been a case of a clear hadith, or a hadith with clear signs of it being a reports of two persons, then the people would have understood. But no, he was misleading the masses without importing clairity in his narrations!

Yes, like you pointed the people probably heard or knew about the first part as Abu Hurayra and other companions narrated it in different places so they asked just to make sure whether the last part was also said by Prophet (saw) - He said no as it was his own explanation. Abu Huraira was probably going to clarify it more but people already asked.

The point is Shia tried to prove using this Hadith that Abu Hurayra used to fabricate and they have been proven wrong. 

[al-kulayni]

Assalamu Alaykum,

The same hadith is narrated in shia books :

6118 - 1

بوعلي الاشعري، عن محمد بن عبدالجبار، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن عبد الاعلى، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: كل معروف صدقة وأفضل الصدقة صدقة عن ظهر غنى وابدء بمن تعول، واليد العليا خير من اليد السفلى ولايلوم الله على الكفاف

"Abû `Alî al-Ash`arî -> Muhammad bin `Abdi-l Jabbâr -> Safwân bin Yahyâ -> Abdu-l A`lâ -> Abû `Abdillâh (Imâm Ja`far (as) ) stated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: All kindness is charity and the best charity is that charity which is given when one is rich and one should begin with their dependents. The upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (taking) one, and Allâh does not censure for provision."

[Usûl al-Kâfî, al-Kulaynî; Bâb Fadl al-Ma`rûf]

6203 - 2

محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن محبوب، عن معاوية بن وهب، عن عبدالاعلى، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: أفضل الصدقة صدقة عن ظهر غنى

"Muhammad bin Yahyâ -> Ahmad bin Muhammad -> Ibn Mahbûb -> Mu`âwîyah bin Wahb -> `Abdu-l A`lâ -> Abû `Abdillâh (Imâm Ja`far (as) ) stated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: The best of charity is that which is given when one is rich."

[Usûl al-Kâfî, al-Kulaynî; Bâb an-Nawâdir]

ابن المتوكل عن الحميري عن ابن عيسى عن ابن محبوب عن معاوية بن وهب عن عبد الأعلى عن أبي عبد الله( عليه السلام ) قال قالرسول الله( صلى الله عليه وآله) أفضل الصدقة صدقة عن ظهر غنى

"Ibn al-Mutawakkal -> al-Humayrî -> Ibn `Isâ -> Ibn Mahbûb -> Mu`âwîyah bin Wahb -> `Abdu-l A`lâ -> Abû `Abdillâh (Imâm Ja`far (as) ) stated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: The best of charity is that which is given when one is rich."

[Bihâr al-Anwâr, Thawâb al-A`mâl]